We all love our cat companions so much - but it’s highly likely there’s more than a few facts she’s been keeping to herself! Let’s talk about some of the most fascinating cat facts even the most seasoned of cat lovers have probably never even heard of before!

Who knows, you might gain a whole new appreciation for our feline friends!

#1 Purring increases Bone Density

You heard that right! When our adorable cats are purring, they aren’t just expressing their happiness! They might also be healing themselves.

This is because the sound frequency of purring - around 25-150 Hertz - can actually improve bone density. For cats that love sleeping and lazing about all day, purring might actually be helping them stimulate their muscles and bones while conserving energy!

#2 The Wealthiest Cat in the World owned $13 million

It might be hard to imagine, but in 1988, one cat named Blackie had more than $13 million to his name!

His owner, a rich British antique dealer named Ben Rea, loved his cat to bits and left most of his estate to his beloved pet when he died in 1988. The money was split between three different cat charities who were all instructed to take the utmost care of Blackie!

If you feel like spoiling your cat, consider going posh with a cat tree from the Pet Rebels Kings and Queens line.  We suggest the Catarina tree, with plush perches, a hammock and a little hidey hole for them to curl up in.  Spoil the royals!

#3 You might be an Ailurophile!

Sounds a little gross, but don’t worry! An ailurophile is actually another word for a cat lover!

 

In Greek, cat can be translated to ailouros, while the suffix -phile is added to mean “lover of”. So next time you’re looking to show off a little, make sure to drop this fancy bit of trivia!

Side note, if you ever meet someone who HATES cats, you can also call them an ailurophobe - someone who hates cats!

#4 Cats went to Space 6 years before Man reached the Moon

If you think your cat’s great at landing on their feet, think again! One of your feline’s ancestors might just be Félicette, a French cat that was launched into space on a rocket on October 18th, 1963!

She landed safe and sound following a parachute descent. One small step for cats, one giant leap for catkind!

#5 Your Cat could be Allergic to you!

Think your cat allergies are bad? What about your cat’s human allergy!

 

That’s right, cats can actually be allergic to us humans. 1 in 200 cats are estimated to have asthma. This causes them to also be hypersensitive to human-made allergens like cigarette smoke, dust, dandruff or pollen! If you see your cat sneezing a little around you, she might just be allergic to you! And if you want to learn more about all kinds of cat allergies, we did an article about it here!

#6 Thomas Edison made a Short Film about Cats Boxing

Known as the inventor of the electric lightbulb, Thomas Edison was also a lover of strange short films and produced several of his own. Following his invention of the Kinetoscope, an early ancestor to the film camera, he recorded several bizarre short films, including one where he featured adorable cats being made to box each other in a boxing ring!

#7 We still don’t know why Cats Meow

Despite this being one of the most common animal sounds, experts are still unsure about why cats meow at all. After all, full-grown felines don’t actually meow when interacting with each other! So why meow at all?

Some experts have theorised that meowing might be a leftover habit from when they were kittens! So your cat meowing might just be them channelling their inner kitten to get your attention, just like they would to their mums when they were kittens!

#8 Cats can have a dominant paw

Just like humans can be right handed or left handed, cats can also prefer using either their left front paw or right front paw! Some studies have even shown that male cats actually tend to favour their left paw, while female cats are more likely to have a dominant right paw. Next time you see your cat skulking around, make sure to observe them for a bit to find out if you have a left-pawed or right-pawed cat! That sounds like some good, old-fashioned cat fun for any cat lover! Want to give it a try? Check out our selection of cat toysto do a case study of your own!

#9 House cats and Tigers share 95.6% of their Genes

That’s right! Your house cat doesn’t just resemble these huge wild cats, they’re also genetically similar to them!

They also share many of the same habits as tigers, including scent marking, prey stalking and pouncing.

 

#10 Cats could beat us in the Olympics

Your cat might seem lazy and slow at home, but in reality, cats can run up to 48 kilometres per hour! Of course, they can only run at that speed for a short distance. But at that rate, they could beat Usain Bolt in a 200-meter dash! Plus, the humble house cat can even jump up to 5 times their own height! Adjust a pole vaulting competition to cat proportions and our feline friends are guaranteed to win! For some cat fun, why not try racing your cats around the house?

There’s so much more we don’t know about our cats, and so many more cat facts to explore! While they might laze around all day, the truth is that our cats are so much more capable than we might think.

So the next time you catch your cat around the house, make sure to treat them to plenty of love, affection and playtime. Best of all, treat them to a tasty round of Ciao Churu’s Maguro Tuna Cat Treats. After all, they deserve it!

 

  

 

 

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TAMMI CHNG

Tammi is an avid writer, but especially loves learning and writing about animals! She spends her free time visiting cat cafes, playing video games and having plenty of cuddle time with her pup.